U.S. patent number 4,635,390 [Application Number 06/741,984] was granted by the patent office on 1987-01-13 for fishing rod support.
Invention is credited to Haven B. Walters.
United States Patent |
4,635,390 |
Walters |
January 13, 1987 |
Fishing rod support
Abstract
A horizontally elongated housing has upright end plates at the
opposite ends of the housing with aligned upward-opening slots into
which a section of a fishing rod may be inserted. Rotors having
undercut hook portions extend between and are rotatably mounted on
the housing end plate for swinging about parallel axes extending
longitudinally of the housing. The rotor hook portions are
automatically moved by insertion of the rod from positions out of
registration with the end plate slots to positions registered with
the slots and hooked over the top of the rod.
Inventors: |
Walters; Haven B. (Seattle,
WA) |
Family
ID: |
24983037 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/741,984 |
Filed: |
June 6, 1985 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
43/21.2;
248/538 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01K
97/10 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01K
97/10 (20060101); A01K 097/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;43/21.2
;248/525,526,538,316.5,534,535,536 ;24/495,648 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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554898 |
|
Feb 1957 |
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BE |
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988067 |
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Apr 1976 |
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CA |
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2442009 |
|
Jul 1980 |
|
FR |
|
2508765 |
|
Jan 1983 |
|
FR |
|
Primary Examiner: Godici; Nicholas P.
Assistant Examiner: Cuda; Carmine
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Brown; Ward Beach; Robert W.
Claims
I claim:
1. A support for a fishing rod comprising an elongated housing
having two aligned slots spaced apart longitudinally of said
housing, extending transversely thereof and opening at the exterior
thereof for receiving a section of the rod into said housing with
the length of the rod extending longitudinally of said housing, a
rotor, means mounting the rotor for swinging about an axis
extending longitudinally of said housing but offset from said
aligned slots, said rotor having a hook portion and being biased by
gravity to an open position in which said hook portion is out of
registration with said aligned slots, said rotor further having
generally radially projecting leg means extending at least partway
across said aligned slots when said rotor is in its open position
for engagement by the rod when it is inserted into said slots so as
to swing said rotor and move its hook portion into registration
with said slots to block movement of the rod out of said slots,
said leg means including generally radially projecting leg portions
spaced axially of said rotor and generally adjacent to the opposite
ends thereof.
2. The support defined in claim 1, including restraining means
limiting longitudinal movement of the rod relative to the
housing.
3. The support defined in claim 2 in which the restraining means
includes a projection mounted on the rod, the housing having an
interior projection buttable against said rod projection when the
rod is inserted into the housing.
4. The support defined in claim 1, including restraining means
preventing rotation of the rod after it is inserted into the
housing.
5. The support defined in claim 4, in which the restraining means
includes a projection mounted on the rod, the housing having an
elongated groove extending longitudinally of the housing for
receiving the rod projection.
6. A support for a fishing rod comprising a horizontally elongated
housing having upright end plates at its opposite ends, said end
plates having aligned upright slots of a width sufficient for
insertion of a section of the rod into said slots with the rod
extending longitudinally of said housing, two rotors mounted for
swinging about parallel axes extending longitudinally of said
housing at opposite sides of said slots, respectively, each of said
rotors having longitudinally spaced leg portions extending inward
at least partway into registration with said aligned slots for
engagement of said leg portions by the rod when it is inserted so
as to swing the rotors in opposite senses, and each of said rotors
having an undercut hook portion at the opposite side of the
swinging axis of such rotor from its inward-projecting leg portion,
normally disposed in an open position out of registration with said
aligned slots and moved by swinging of the rotors to a position
registered with the slot means so as to block movement of the rod
out of said slot means.
7. The support defined in claim 6 in which the bulk of the weight
of each rotor is disposed outboard of its swinging axis for biasing
such rotor by gravity to its open position.
8. The support defined in claim 5, in which the rod and the
projection mounted thereon are slidable longitudinally in the
elongated groove of the housing in a direction so as to position
the projection in the path of movement of a leg portion of the
rotor and thereby block swinging of the rotor to its open position
until the rod and projection are moved longitudinally in the
opposite direction.
9. The support defined in claim 1, in which the housing slots are
upright and the leg portions include a flat upright inner surface
adjacent to the rod after it is inserted.
10. The support defined in claim 1, including a second rotor having
a hook portion and biased to an open position in which said hook
portion of said second rotor is out of registration with the
aligned housing slots, said second rotor further having generally
radially projecting leg means including longitudinally spaced leg
portions extending at least part way across the aligned slots when
said second rotor is in its open position for engagement of said
leg portions of said second rotor by the rod when it is inserted
into the housing slots, the first rotor and said second rotor being
mounted for swinging movement in opposite senses automatically by
engagement of their respective leg portions by the rod when it is
inserted into the housing slots.
11. A support for a fishing rod comprising a horizontally elongated
housing having aligned slots of a width sufficient for insertion of
a section of the rod into said slots with the rod extending
longitudinally of said housing, two rotors mounted for swinging
about parallel axes extending longitudinally of said housing at
opposite sides of said slots, respectively, each of said rotors
having longitudinally spaced leg portions extending inward at least
partway into registration with said aligned slots for engagement of
said leg portions by the rod when it is inserted so as to swing the
rotors in opposite senses, and each of said rotors having an
undercut hook portion at the opposite side of the swinging axis of
such rotor from its inward-projecting leg portions, normally
disposed in an open position out of registration with said aligned
slots and moved by swinging of the rotors to a position registered
with the slot means so as to block movement of the rod out of said
slot means.
12. A support for a fishing rod comprising an elongated housing
having two aligned slots spaced apart longitudinally of said
housing, extending transversely thereof and opening at the exterior
thereof for receiving a section of the rod into said housing with
the length of the rod extending longitudinally of said housing, a
rotor, means mounting the rotor for swinging about an axis
extending longitudinally of said housing but offset from said
aligned slots, said rotor having longitudinally spaced aligned hook
portions and being biased by gravity to an open position in which
said hook portions are out of registration with said aligned slots,
said rotor further having longitudinally spaced, aligned, generally
radially projecting leg portions extending at least partway across
said aligned slots when said rotor is in its open position for
engagement of said leg portions by the rod when it is inserted into
said slots so as to swing said rotor and move its hook portions
into registration with said slots to block movement of the rod out
of said slots, said leg and hook portions being disposed,
respectively, at opposite sides of the rotor axis.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for supporting a fishing
rod during fishing.
2. Prior Art
The oldest known fishing rod support used when fishing from a bank
is a simple forked stick inserted into the ground for supporting
the rod in upward-inclined position with the butt resting on the
ground. In a boat, the rod may be laid across the gunwale or rail
with the butt resting inside the boat. In either case, the butt
portion of the rod may be stepped on or kicked and the reel is
inconveniently positioned at a low level.
Known rod holders can be supported in or on the ground or mounted
on a boat and include an eye or cylinder into which the butt of the
rod is inserted. Removal of the rod from such a holder is
inconvenient. If the rod is removed quickly, such as immediately
after a bite is detected, there may be sufficient disturbance of
the line so as to result in a lost fish.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for
reliably and securely supporting a fishing rod in a convenient
position during fishing.
It also is an object to provide such a device which allows the rod
to be inserted and removed quickly and easily with little
disturbance of the line.
An additional object is to provide such a device in a form capable
of supporting the rod by engagement with almost any section of the
rod and adapted for supporting rods of different sizes and
designs.
Another object is to provide such a device capable of supporting a
fishing rod in any desired rotated position.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the foregoing
objects are accomplished by a fishing rod support having a housing
with upward-opening slots into which the rod may be inserted, and
one or more hook members normally positioned out of registration
with the slots. Mechanism is provided to assure that the hook
members are automatically moved over the top of the rod when it is
inserted in the housing slots, and such hook members are
automatically moved out of registration with the slots when the rod
is translated upward from the housing to remove it.
The hook members can be formed on rotors mounted on the housing for
rotation about axes extending substantially parallel to the length
of the rod. The rotors can be counterbalanced to their normal or
open positions in which their hook members or portions are out of
registration with the slots. The rotors can have
downward-projecting legs normally extending at least partway across
the housing slots and engaged by the rod when it is inserted so as
to swing PG,4 the rotors, so that undercut hook portions at the top
of each rotor extend over the top of the rod.
In the preferred embodiment, such rotors are provided at opposite
sides of the housing for rotation in opposite senses by insertion
of the rod. Longitudinal sliding movement of the rod can be limited
by positioning the rod in the holder with a ferrule or eyelet
engaged against the end of the housing. Alternatively, a tab or
block can be mounted on the rod to be received in a slot or groove
in the interior of the housing, thereby limiting longitudinal
movement of the rod and also allowing the rod to be firmly
positioned in any desired rotated position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic top perspective of a fishing rod
support in accordance with the present invention with one part,
namely, one rotor, exploded away.
FIG. 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic transverse section along line
2--2 of FIG. 1 with parts broken away, and FIG. 2a is a
corresponding section along line 2--2 of FIG. 1 with parts in
different positions.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary bottom perspective of a fishing rod
illustrating an attachment for the rod adapting it to be used with
one form of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic transverse section along line
4--4 of FIG. 1 illustrating insertion of the rod of FIG. 3 into the
fishing rod support shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic top perspective of an alternative form of
a fishing rod support in accordance with the present invention with
parts deleted for simplicity of illustration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the form shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fishing rod support 1 in
accordance with the present invention is adapted for mounting on a
boat for boat fishing or on a tripod or stake for bank fishing.
Such support includes an angle bracket having a downward-projecting
flange 2 with a hole 3 for a mounting screw or bolt and a
horizontal flange 4 rigidly secured to conventional universal
adjustment mechanism 5. Such adjustment mechanism adapts the main
body or housing 6 of the support for swinging in a horizontal
plane, as indicated by the arrow 7, and includes a horizontal shaft
8 adapting the housing 6 for swinging in a vertical plane. The
housing is mounted on the adjustment mechanism 5 by
downward-projecting flanges 9 having their bottom end portions
journaled on shaft 8. A locknut 10, threaded on the outer end
portion of shaft 8, can be provided to lock the housing 6 in any
desired vertically swung position. Similar conventional mechanism
can be provided to lock the housing in any desired horizontally
swung position.
The housing 6 of the support is a substantially semicylindrical
shell open at the top and having its ends closed by end plates 11.
Each end plate is circular except for an upward-opening slot 12
having an arcuate bottom 13 which is spaced above the bottom of the
shell. The end plate slots are aligned and each is of a width
sufficient to allow a rod R of a desired diameter to be inserted
downward into the slots as indicated in FIG. 2. The upper portion
14 of each slot is flared outward for guiding the rod R downward
into the lower portion of the slot.
The support as thus far described could be used to retain a fishing
rod in a desired position for a variety of different fishing
applications, but only if care is taken to balance the rod with
respect to the support so that the weight of the reel as compared
to the drag of the line does not cause the rod to tilt up or down
and thereby become dislodged. Even if the rod is initially balanced
in the support, a strong force applied to the rod in direction
approximately parallel to a plane bisecting the aligned upright
slots could dislodge the rod from the support, particularly if the
pole were disposed at a high angle of inclination. Consequently, in
accordance with the present invention, one or more hook members are
provided to prevent movement of the rod out of the end plate slots,
except when such movement is desired by the fisherman.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 2a, the hook members are
formed on long rotors 16 extending between and pivotally mounted on
the end plates 11 for rotation about parallel axes 17. Such axes
extend longitudinally of the housing 6 at opposite sides of the
aligned upright slots 12. The rotors 16 can be formed of any
suitable rigid material with longitudinal shafts 18 projecting
beyond their opposite ends and journaled in holes 19 through the
end plates 11 for free rotation of the rotors.
As seen in cross section in FIG. 2, each rotor 16 is substantially
semicircular from approximately its bottom edge, directly below its
swinging axis 17, through an angle of slightly greater than 180
degrees at the outer side of such rotor. The inner and lower side
portion is cut away along the generally upright chord 20. The inner
and upper portion is undercut by a concave cutout 21 forming a
generally inward-projecting hook. Such concave cutout 21 extends
from a point closely adjacent to the pivot axis 17 through an angle
of approximately 90 degrees to the tip 22 of the hook at the upper
portion of the rotor and has a radius of curvature approximately
the same as the radius of the largest rod for which the support is
designed.
Each rotor has two longitudinally spaced, inward-projecting,
triangular legs 23 closely adjacent to the end plates 11,
respectively, but out of registration with the legs of the other
rotor. Each leg has a substantially horizontal bottom edge 24
extending tangentially from the bottom of the outer circular
portion of its rotor and a top edge 25 inclined downward and inward
tangentially from the arcuate cutout or hook portion 21. With
reference to the semicircular portion of each rotor, such rotor is
mounted eccentrically with its center offset outward from the pivot
axis 17. Since the bulk of the weight of each rotor is disposed
outboard of its swinging axis 17, the rotors are biased by gravity
to the positions shown in FIG. 2 in which the legs 23 extend
generally horizontally inward and the hook portions 21 are disposed
outward from the opposite sides of the slots 12.
In use, the rod R is held approximately parallel to the axis of the
housing 6 and is translated downward into the end plate slots 12.
The rod engages the inward-projecting legs 23, wedging them apart
and swinging the rotors to move the undercut hook portions 21
toward each other over the top of the rod as shown in FIG. 2a.
Although biased by gravity outward, swinging of the rotors so as to
move the hook portions away from each other is prevented by
engagement of their now downward-projecting legs 23 against the
opposite sides of the rod resting on the bottoms 13 of the slots
12.
The rod is securely held in the support until it is manually
translated upward in a direction substantially perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the housing 6 which allows the rotors to swing
in opposite senses back to the position shown in FIG. 2. In the
embodiment shown, the tip portions of the hook portions 21 extend
substantially perpendicularly inward when in the position shown in
FIG. 2a, which is preferred. It also is preferred that the tips 22
of the rotor hook portions be spaced apart slightly when the rotors
are in their closed positions.
If, however, only the butt or the tip of the rod is moved up or
down, the rod will be canted in the slots with the rotor legs at
the leading or trailing end portion of the support engaged against
a portion of the rod. For example, the rod need not be balanced in
the support, or a strong downward force may be applied to the tip
of the rod such as by the strong pull of a fish or hooking a snag
while trolling. The rod will swing about the fulcrum formed by the
bottom of one of the slots. Swinging of the rotors to release the
rod is prevented, however, because the rotor legs at the opposite
end portion of the support are blocked by the portion of the rod
resting in the base of the other slot. Only by deliberate action of
manually translating the rod upward will the rod be released, but
such action is easily accomplished when desired with minimal
disturbance of the line.
The hook members can be of various shapes. For the purposes of the
preferred form of the invention, it is important that at least one
hook member be provided which member is movable from an open
position out of registration with the aligned end plate slots to a
closed position extending at least partially over the slots so as
to block removal of an inserted rod. It also is preferred that
mechanism be provided for automatically moving the hook member by
insertion of the rod which, in the preferred embodiment, is
accomplished by provision of the inward-extending rotor legs 23.
Further, mechanism is provided for normally moving or biasing the
hook member to its open position which, in the preferred
embodiment, is accomplished by providing the bulk of the weight of
each rotor 16 outboard of its pivot axis 17 so that the rotor is
biased to its open position by gravity.
Any portion of the length of the rod can be inserted into the
support. Longitudinal-sliding movement of the rod is limited by
engagement of a ferrule or eyelet against the outer side of the
leading end plate. Nevertheless, for more precise positioning of
the rod in the support, the rod can be provided with a tab or block
26 of the type shown in FIG. 3 which is secured to the rod R' by a
band or strap 27 received in a groove of the block. The upper side
of the block is concave to match the convex periphery of the rod
and the width of the block is approximately the same as the
diameter of the rod. The block has a narrow short end portion 28
and a wider portion 29. As best seen in FIG. 1, the support housing
6 can have inner blocks or rails 30 forming a way 31 between them.
An inward-extending projection 32 is formed on the rear end of one
of the rails 30. As seen in FIG. 4, when the modified rod R' is
inserted into the support, the tab or block 26 is received in the
way 31 and the wider block portion forms a shoulder engageable
against the projection 32 so as to limit longitudinal sliding
movement of the rod relative to the housing, such as if the rod is
inclined sharply upward. The narrower block portion can extend past
the housing projection 32 into the path of swinging movement of one
of the rotor legs 23. Consequently, removal of the rod from the
support requires that the rod be moved longitudinally forward a
short distance before the rod is translated out of the support
housing, which is an added precaution against the rod being
inadvertently dislodged from the support. In addition, the rod
block can be secured so as to hold the rod in any desired rotated
position, such as reel up or reel down.
FIG. 5 illustrates diagrammatically an alternative embodiment with
the support housing and end plates deleted. Rather than providing a
continuous, generally cylindrical rotor at each side, straight
shafts 18' are pivotally mounted on the housing end plates. Bent
hook members 16' are secured to the inner sides of the shafts 18'
and counterweights 33 are secured to the outer sides of the shafts.
The hook members of the two shafts are aligned at the leading and
trailing end portions of the shafts. Each hook member 16' has a leg
23' extending generally perpendicularly and linearly downward from
its shaft 18' in the closed position shown in FIG. 5, and an upper
hook portion 21' curved inward through an angle of approximately 90
degrees. With the rod inserted as shown in FIG. 5, outward swinging
movement of the inwardly curved hook portions is prevented by
engagement of the rod with the downward-projecting legs extending
below the shafts. FIG. 5 illustrates canting of the rod R such that
the leading portion of the rod is engaged against the bottoms of
the inwardly curved hook portions 21, but outward-swinging movement
of the hook portions is prevented by engagement of the
downward-projecting legs 23' of the rear hook members with the
trailing portion of the rod.
* * * * *